Bangsamoro deal illegal – OIC

To the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is just a scrap of paper.

The OIC, formerly Organization of the Islamic Conference, is “the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations which has membership of 57 states spread over four continents,” its website says.

According to an official of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), the OIC recognizes “no other [peace]agreement” but the “legal and binding” Tripoli accord signed on September 2, 1996 by the Ramos administration and the MNLF.

The official, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told The Manila Times that he was quoting from a letter sent to the MNLF by Iyad Bin Amin Madani, the OIC secretary general, who had refused an invitation from the Philippine government to witness the signing of the CAB in March this year.

Madani, 67, the OIC’s 10th secretary general, succeeded Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who in 2013 ended his term at the organization that was founded in 1969.

He heads an influential group that is “the collective voice of the Muslim world and ensuring to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people[s]of the world,” according to the OIC website.

The MNLF official said the MNLF sees President Benigno Aquino 3rd signing the Bangsamoro pact as “a provocative act that [has created]another serious conflict for the people of Mindanao,” home in the South to the Philippines’ Muslim minority.

The official added that the organization’s leaders reaffirmed during a meeting in Davao City last Saturday that the only peace deal that matters to them is the Tripoli Agreement, which, for one, created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Also during the meeting, the MNLF official said, the organization’s leaders noted that President Aquino had promised but failed to resolve 42 “defective” provisions of Republic Act 9054 that amended RA 6734, which created the ARMM.

The “expeditious” signing of the CAB and the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law that would create the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) is “tantamount to violation” of the1996 peace pact, the official added.

No fear
But despite reports on the involvement of MILF fighters in kidnapping activities in the south, Presidential Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said there is no reason to fear the outcome of the peace deal between the government and the Muslim group.

In a press briefing, Coloma echoed the call of peace panel chairman Miriam Coronel-Ferrer on the MILF leadership to police its ranks and prevent members from aligning themselves with bandit groups such as the Abu Sayyaf.

“We remain focused on the objectives of the CAB, which is to be able to establish by 2016 the Bangsamoro Political Entity. If there are any efforts to derail that process, then both sides continue to be firmly committed to do what is needed in order to make sure that those efforts do not stand in the way of the ultimate objective,” the Palace official stressed.

Nine ASG members were killed during recent clashes with soldiers last week, among them Nur Espital who has been identified as a member of the MILF. Three other alleged MILF members were injured.

Ferrer said some MILF members are connected by affinity to Furuji Indama, the top leader of the ASG and one of the most wanted men in the country. Furuji is charged with several cases of murder and kidnappings.

“In the last three years, there were nearly 100 cases of abductions of children as young as a year old, students, businessmen, foreigners, journalists, senior citizens, barangay officials, and teachers. Many of these kidnap victims are still in captivity while some have been killed,” she noted.

But Coloma gave assurances that the President remains committed to every word contained in the CAB that was signed last March 27 in Malacañang.

“On the part of the President, he made clear that we should not be bothered by fear and uncertainty. We should not allow fear or uncertainty to affect our resolve to bring about the fruition of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro,” the Palace official said.

What is important, he explained, is that both Aquino and MILF chairman Al Haj Murad have declared before the world that they will ensure the success of the peace deal.

11 Comments

Of course it is illegal as only KKKs were involved in the framing-up of the CAB. Filipino intellectuals who are not members of the HEPATITIS CLUB were excluded to share their wisdom and useful ideas in which surely they will not concur as the scrapping of the ARRMM was premature. Why? BSA wants to create a landmark accomplishment that would only create a graver problem which his successors will shoulder.

I would like to call all brother & Sister from different sectors to be united & focused on CAB, what ever quoted by OIC is never separated majority of Bangsamoro, what ever there said is not wisely and not diplomatic, the OIC is had a few accomplished with muslim community, look up the Syria, Afghanistan, Burma, Iraq and Philippines were fought for there right and self determination since hundred years ago then surprise they will quoted such stupid thing were Bangsamoro is just got the best agreement with the government of the Philippines since how many century.
The OIC should thing 100x before quoted anything.

What is happening in south philipines particularly the ARMM area is a classic divide & rule strategy ….. to which i am afraid that further down the line RPG would have to have a dozen of these so called agreement with so many players. As to the OIC stand (granting this is true) is just but normal and not something to be surprised at. Anyways, as i always said God Bless The Philippines.

An MNLF official is ‘quoting’ the OIC. I wish to see the supposed letter.

And the Tripoli accord was not signed in 1996, that was the FPA, signed in Jakarta.

The Tripoli accord was signed in 1976- it could never be accepted by the Filipinos as it contains waaay more territory than the CAB and FPA combined.

The CAB is now being rejected by some quarters for reasons unknown (illegal, unconstitutional- the same scapegoat always used to justify rejecting any peace agreement), and only the FPA is supposedly accepted but it resulted in creating a failure of an experiment- ARMM.

Maybe the Philippines does not recognize the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for what ever they think and say. There will always be renegade individuals that will not agree to anything but their own.

Well well well. It’s ok if Phil govt doesn’t recognize the OIC so that this organization of Islamic countries could focus on what it could do to help Muslims in non member countries. It can now proceed to fulfill its commitment to the Muslims in southern Philippines in their quest to bring their case to the United Nayions’ decolonization commission . Hope one or two member countries will recognize and uphold the independence and sovereignties of the Muslim homeland of Mindanao long recognized by the world even prior to Spanish and Amercan arrival in our shores.

Jerry Adlaw report is correct. But Philippine Congress w/c the plenary power can very well integrate the 1996 FPA w/c is the implementation of the Tripoli Agreement and the FAB if only to save the south from any UNPEACE in the future which could be triggered by the abrogation of the Tripoli Agreement.

The irrefutable fact is that the GPH has not implemented the 1976 Tripoli Agreement it signed with the Muslim people in Southern Philippines thru the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF w/c calls for the establishment of Autonomy in a defined Territory of 13 Provinces and all the Cities therein. The GPh agreed to use “all constitutional means to implement the entire agreement”. The Govermnment has not done that even as the 1996 Final Peace Agreement was reached with the active participation of the Organization of Islamic Conferrence (OIC) w/c is supposed to be the implementation of the 1976 Tripoli Agreement. Lawyers, intellectuals and others must honestly study and analyse this issue.

The devil is always around to promote wars and killings. All Filipinos who love peace must walk with God fearlessly to achieve the goal for peace throughout the troubled land. At the end of the day what is important that all become a force for goodness to prevail against evil. May God have mercy on all.

“Bangsamoro deal illegal – OIC” is erroneouly out of context!
The author probably just simply meant that the deal violates the 1996 Tripoli accord. Because, as far as ‘legality’ is concerned, only the laws of the Philippines is relevant.
If and when the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), as duly rectified for inconsistencies with the Constitution, if any, is ratified by the people in the designated region of Bangsamoro then the law become legal in all jurisdictions. Including those in the UN and all international bodies.
Any objection from any accredited member of the OIC, or otherwise, will become moot and academic. Mr. Misuari will be become as totally inconsequential, as he is irrelevant already now.